Information distribution control apparatus, information distribution control method, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

When an information provider and an information user distribute target information across countries, an information distribution control apparatus according to an aspect of the invention manages first attribute information including an attribute of the information provider and an attribute of the target information, in which a unique condition of a belonging country is reflected, and condition information indicating a provision condition of the target information. Responding to a data provision request from the information user, the information distribution control apparatus collates second attribute information including an attribute of the information user and an attribute of the target information desired to be used, in which the unique condition of the belonging country is reflected, with the first attribute information and the condition information, and determines whether or not to permit distribution of the target information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information distribution control apparatus used in a system in which an information provider and an information user distribute target information via an international network between a first information communication network constructed by a first country and a second information communication network constructed by a second country, the information distribution control apparatus comprising:
 a first processing unit configured to manage first attribute information including an attribute of the information provider and an attribute of the target information, in which a unique condition including a rule of a belonging country is reflected, and condition information indicating a provision condition of the target information;   a second processing unit configured to acquire, from the information user, second attribute information including an attribute of the information user and an attribute of the target information desired to be used, in which the unique condition of the belonging country is reflected;   a third processing unit configured to collate the acquired second attribute information with the first attribute information, based on the provision condition, and to determine whether or not to permit distribution of the target information, based on a result of the collation; and   a fourth processing unit configured to output a determination result of whether or not to permit the distribution of the target information.   
     
     
         2 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the target information includes exclusive information stored in an exclusive information area accessible only by the information provider, and shared information stored in a shared information area accessible by the information provider and another party, and   the first processing unit manages an attribute of the shared information stored in the shared information area in the target information by including the attribute of the shared information in the first attribute information.   
     
     
         3 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the third processing unit refers to article data representing the rule of the belonging country defined in the attribute of the target information, and collates a security level defined in the attribute of the target information with a security determination condition defined in the article data, and permits the distribution of the target information if the security level satisfies the security determination condition. 
     
     
         4 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first processing unit manages the condition information including a nationality of the information user that is a provision destination of the target information as the provision condition, and   the third processing unit permits the distribution of the target information if the nationality of the information user included in the second attribute information coincides with the nationality of the information user serving as the provision destination included in the provision condition.   
     
     
         5 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first processing unit manages the condition information including a country of a place where the target information is available as the provision condition, and   the third processing unit permits the distribution of the target information if a country of a location of presence of the information user included in the second attribute information coincides with the country of the place where the target information is available included in the condition information.   
     
     
         6 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first processing unit further manages authentication information relating to the target information, and   the third processing unit restores the first attribute information of the target information, based on the authentication information, if the first attribute information of the target information is falsified, and determines whether or not to permit the distribution of the target information, based on the restored first attribute information.   
     
     
         7 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fifth processing unit configured to perform control for establishing a distribution path of the target information from the information provider to the information user, if the distribution of the target information is permitted based on the determination result output from the fourth processing unit. 
     
     
         8 . The information distribution control apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an authentication control apparatus included in the first information communication network and the second information communication network and an international network connection apparatus included in the international network execute the processes performed by the first processing unit to the fourth processing unit in cooperation with each other. 
     
     
         9 . An information distribution control method executed by an information processing apparatus provided in a system in which an information provider and an information user distribute target information via an international network between a first information communication network constructed by a first country and a second information communication network constructed by a second country, the information distribution control method comprising:
 a step of managing first attribute information including an attribute of the information provider and an attribute of the target information, in which a unique condition including a rule of a belonging country is reflected, and condition information indicating a provision condition of the target information;   a step of acquiring, from the information user, second attribute information including an attribute of the information user and an attribute of the target information desired to be used, in which the unique condition of the belonging country is reflected;   a step of collating the acquired second attribute information with the first attribute information, based on the provision condition, and determining whether or not to permit distribution of the target information, based on a result of the collation; and   a step of outputting a determination result of whether or not to permit the distribution of the target information.   
     
     
         10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program executed by a processor of an information distribution control apparatus used in a system in which an information provider and an information user distribute target information via an international network between a first information communication network constructed by a first country and a second information communication network constructed by a second country, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium causing the processor to:
 manage first attribute information including an attribute of the information provider and an attribute of the target information, in which a unique condition including a rule of a belonging country is reflected, and condition information indicating a provision condition of the target information;   acquire, from the information user, second attribute information including an attribute of the information user and an attribute of the target information desired to be used, in which the unique condition of the belonging country is reflected;   collate the acquired second attribute information with the first attribute information, based on the provision condition, and determine whether or not to permit distribution of the target information, based on a result of the collation; and   output a determination result of whether or not to permit the distribution of the target information.